Upgrading from Microsoft Dynamics NAV to Business Central: What Will Happen with My Add-Ons?

Upgrading from Microsoft Dynamics NAV to Business Central: What Will Happen with My Add-Ons?

At ArcherPoint, we love Microsoft Dynamics NAV, but we believe that a move to Business should be on everyone’s list. We understand you probably have questions about what it’s like to upgrade, and we want to help answer them. In this blog series, we answer the most frequently asked questions we hear from our NAV customers. Our goal is to educate you so you can make an intelligent decision about when, why, and how you should upgrade from NAV to BC. After all, we specialize in NAV upgrades.

In our first blog, Upgrading from Microsoft Dynamics NAV to Business Central: What Will It Look Like?, we discussed what is involved in upgrading from NAV to BC. In the second blog, Upgrading from Microsoft Dynamics NAV to Business Central: What are Events and Extensions?, we discussed what happens to your customizations when you upgrade.

In this blog, we discuss the impact an upgrade to BC has on your NAV add-on products provided by third-party software developers.

Question #3: What About My Add-Ons? Are They Ready for Microsoft Dynamics Business Central, and Do They Have an Upgrade Path?

Most NAV users run one or more add-on products from Independent Software Vendors (ISVs). These third-party add-on products add specific functionality that is not part of the base product, such as credit card acceptance, advanced inventory management capabilities, or some other type of industry-specific solution.

As you move from NAV to BC, it’s reasonable to ask: Will my ISV product be ready when we’re ready to make the move?

While most ISVs have upgraded their solutions to the current version of Business Central, not all have completed the process of converting their solution to using Events and Extensions using AL. In either case, you will still be able to upgrade to BC and run on premises. Ultimately, your goal is to run BC in the cloud. However, until all your internal code and all your ISV products have removed C/AL code and moved to Extensions using AL, you will not be able to reap the full benefits of running BC in the cloud, one of which is faster, less complex future upgrades.

Let’s consider several options:

  • Is your ISV product even necessary? Perhaps the first question to ask is, Is your current ISV product even necessary anymore? As NAV as matured over the years, new functionality has been added in areas as diverse as reporting, user security, and bank reconciliation. Find out if the ISV product in question is now part of the BC base product. You may find you don’t even need that plug-in any more.
  • Has the ISV product been updated to the latest version of BC? If the ISV has removed all C/AL code and moved its solution to utilize Extensions and Events, then you can rest assured that it is fully capable to support BC on premises or in the cloud.
  • If the ISV has not completed the transition to Events and Extensions, is there a plan for them to do so? If the ISV is not ready for BC Extensions using AL code, find out if there is a roadmap for it to become compliant. If so, decide if that timeframe works for you. If your ISV’s timeframe will be too far in the future, or if they do not intend to be compliant with Extensions, work with your Dynamics partner to determine if another ISV product that is compliant can replace the product you have been using.

We at ArcherPoint strongly encourage you to rely on your Dynamics partner for advice as you consider upgrading from your version of NAV to BC. There are many elements to consider as you move through the upgrade process, and it is the job of your upgrade partner to make you aware of all your options and advise you on the best upgrade path for your business. Consider an upgrade subscription from ArcherPoint: let us take care of all these variables so you don’t have to worry about any unexpected costs.

In the next blog in this series, we’ll address questions about migrating your data from NAV to BC.

To learn more answers to your upgrade questions, download this free eBook, Upgrading from Microsoft Dynamics NAV to Business Central: Everything You Always Wanted to Know…but Didn’t Know to Ask.

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